"Fuck you Kevin" Janice made an agitated cuss as the handicam was almost on the verge of its mighty fall. Kevin narrowed his eyes at her.

"Mind your language Janice" Their mother declared with a frown. This infuriated her further. But deep down she knew that her mother could refrain being mad for some time since it was only because of her youngest daughter that she had the opportunity to utilise the rare bliss of enjoying the scenic view of her hometown.

"Nothing's changed at all. It's still my old Ruksin" Mrs. Panmei addressed her son as he came and stood next to him. Smiling without averting his eyes from the camera. The thumbs up from his side was a cue for Janice to proceed. She cleared her voice and pressed her lips in a nervous smile.

"Hello my people" She made a short wave "Myself Janice Panmei and I am back with another vlog after like ages." She spun on her heels and made the inevitable faint cue for Kevin to shift the camera to the pan mode to focus on the snow capped mountains behind.

"This vlog is especially very close to my heart because this isn't something we usually come across in other travel vlogs, even I suspect if you have ever come to hear about this place. Apart from this, the town is also my native place. The name of the town is Ruksin and is 3 hours ride from the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar. My parents were born and brought up here. Even my sister Marilyn was born here but as I have already mentioned that they have shifted to New Delhi after my brother Kevin was born."

Janice came to a momentary pause since she had read somewhere that silence could be as effective as talking in video blogs when taken for a brief spell of time and in times of utmost need.

She started walking and her brother Kevin imitating her footsteps.

"Now its just not the scenic beauty of the place that would keep you glued to this video.. But.. " Janice choose silence once again knowing that this part of the vlog would be edited and mixed with the night view. "Unlike the posh lanes of the metropolitans, it is the smallest of the towns at the crux of the hills where you confront mystical entities.."

Janice changed her tone. "Yes you heard it right. Ruksin is an abode of urban legends. It is still believed that in the middle of the night when the veil of fog drapes the town, the bloodthirsty entities saunter hither and tither in search of their prey. Yes the living dead that rise from the coffin.. The Vampire.."

While Kevin grinned at her words, Mrs. Panmei narrowed her eyes at her daughter but Janice seemed to be least bothered about this and kept going.

"It is believed that the beings that howl from afar in the night of full moon, just loiter around with the guise of humans in the sun.. Literature calls them as werewolves. Although literature says that vampires and werewolves are deadly foes but legends still say that there had been a time when both have collaborated here in this Ruskin."

Kevin's brows crinkle to indicate the next and inevitable part of the script. Both the siblings had predicted that apart from the young adults no one else would apparently believe these legends and she might end up getting hurtful comments. The following part came as a consequence of this.

Janice made a voluntary chuckle. "I mean this is a spicy gossip for a bonfire night and Jesus it sounds so thrilling to live in a town where legends and myths like these are so rampant. But let's not get fooled away.. " She stepped near the camera. "How about we go out and check? In the middle of the night?"

"Enough Janice.." Mrs. Panmei blared. "Just because we are okay with your blogging and YouTube stuff doesn't mean we would allow you to earn and get views by speaking crap in front of the world.."

Kevin turned off the recording. "Mom.." He whined.

"Don't you dare utter a word Kevin. Its because of you that your sister is now getting off her limits.." She shot one final dagger glare at the two of them which was enough for them to shut their mouths.

Mrs. Panmei resumed walking and Janice stepped near Kevin. "Does that mean an official end to my much anticipated vlog?"

"Hey c'mon. We know it's not. Mary has sent me the photos of the lawn. It's easy to sneak out at night.." Kevin winked. This was enough for the smile to crawl back in Janice's smile.

It wasn't just blogging or vlogging that added fuel to her bonfire of gaiety. Seeing Dylan after almost three years appeared like a cheerful prospect. Dylan and Janice,whose fathers used to be the childhood best friends, had shared a candid infatuation for each other since their toddler days. Especially when Dylan shifted to Delhi for his schooling and stayed as a paying guest with them.

But much to her disappointment, he had to deport back to Ruksin two years ago due to some kind of family emergency, she didn't bother to know.

The much awaited reunion was the only thing she was looking forward to in this small and dingy place.

"We're here!" Kevin exclaimed as the driver exerted a brake. Janice rolled down the glass of her window. The wide and green lawn that stretched it's arm wide open to the Panmeis also hosted a stale suburban cottage roofed with a touch of new paints. Thanks to her sister Marilyn who had been transferred by her bank here a month ago, that the otherwise antiqued touch was done away with the white and red paint.

Janice realised that Kevin was absolutely right in saying that sneaking out at night would be easier because the boundaries were made of bamboo. Maybe their father would bother constructing again, now that they would be staying here.

"You are finally here.." Mary smiled and threw her arms around Kevin. Janice snorted. "Dramatic siblings"

"Would it tax to be a little expressive?" Dylan appeared from behind and nudged her. Janice tried to stifle her giggle and thus ended up frowning. The fact that Dylan had been here today with Mary to welcome them was enough to make her naive teen heart wander in a jungle of butterflies.

"Yes it might.." Janice shrugged and pinched his nose. She knew that he too had missed these little gestures of affection from her side.

Just like their fathers had missed each other. Stephen Panmei and Christopher George were buddies since kindergarten and the reunion after almost two decades ended up in a warm and brotherly but a bone crashing hug right in the lawn itself.

Dylan's mother wasn't here, although this quite predicted since neither of the ladies shared quite an amiable bond.

"Kevin help me with the luggages" Mary declared as she pulled a trolley inside the verandah and the wheels rolled behind her as she led it inside through the wood touched floor.

"How about you give me a house tour?" Janice asked her sister.

"This isn't a manor Janice. You can see around yourself.." Her father said. Marilyn grinned devilishly at these words.

"But at least I need to accustom myself with this peculiar architecture.." Janice said.

"Don't worry about that. Dylan can give you a house tour, couldn't he?" Mrs. Panmei winked.

"Of course he can..All this while he had been spending more time here in buying funitures and refurbishing the house with Marilyn than in his own house" Dylan's father joked at this.

This was a kind of statement that made his son flush up and Janice flattered.

"I see the dream wedding is on cards" Kevin cleared his voice and settled down in the four seater sofa with the elder men. He loved poking his sister on this subject, much like the favourite topic of discussion of both the families.

"That's it Kevin. I am going. If you want to see around, come for yourself"

Dylan followed her around. The rooms were four in total excluded the bath and the living ones. The supposed master bedroom would surely fall in their parent's territory. One for Kevin and she was obligated to share the bed in the room, Mary was staying in.

"In addition to that, there is also another one.." Dylan added leading her to the farthest corner of the hallway. "The one that belonged to your grandmother..Do you wanna see it? "

The thought of her grandmother did not connote much positive ambience. Knowing that how the lady was a nag and a pain in ass to both her sister and mother. Though she hadn't lived enough to see her youngest granddaughter live till her teens, otherwise Janice was sure that the tug of war between their mindsets would have piqued a heat. It was just Kevin who was the apple of her eyes. She had even sent a special ring for her only grandson who supposedly was special in some way.

Although she didn't say it out loud but Janice was glad that her granny died peacefully sitting her armchair in her own house rather than being adding drudgery to their lives. And she had no intention to see anything related to her as such but realising that she had no other way to kill time now, she decided to give it a shot.

Dylan opened the door to a room which she otherwise could have called the redroom. The peeling paints from the walls were blood red, the furniture, although a handful, in the form of an armchair (where she died), a bed, a nightstand looked worn with dust and rust. And despite the obsolete touch of the room, there was something that intrigued her attention the most.

There was just this window and no ventilators as well. And the only one had a floor to ceiling height. The red velvet curtains put aside made the French architecture of the window evident.

"This is beautiful.." Janice found herself uttering as she stepped closer to the window. "Just beyond beautiful.."

She looked outside but couldn't comprehend what she saw outside as though her eyes were caught in a maze. Her fingers trailed down the window pane.

"Now I know how granny spent all her life sitting here and watching the view outside.."

"And what do you see outside..?" Dylan spoke and stood next to her. It felt like his words had dissolved her reverie.

"I.. I don't know.." She fumbled looking for words. She was strangely enamored by the room and more by the window. As though it had just caught her in some weird spell.

Dylan clasped her hand in his. "I want you to take a good rest..atleast for this weekend. The school starts from Monday and know that you'll have a long week ahead...Your days are gonna change now." Janice smiled. Knowing a little about the mass of his words.

"We should head back now. It's kind of getting late and I don't know why but everyone here believes that we should not stay outside our house after sunset. But the first thing I will do tomorrow is take you out and show you around the town." Unexpectedly Dylan pulled her into his embrace making her flush instantly. She missed the warmth of this particular boy from such a long time and now when she was here, she couldn't help but feel relieved.

After staying in that position for some time, they decided that it was the time to head back to the living room where Dylan's father, Christopher was waiting for his son. Even though Dylan lived two houses away from hers, his father was kind of in a hurry to reach back before it got dark completely.

After her crush's departure, she slumped down on the cushioned chair kept at the corner of the room as her parents went inside their room to get fresh. "So how's the house?" Marilyn asked as she took the chair beside hers.

"It's kind of unique... Though it will take me some time to get adjusted here." Janice replied roaming her eyes around the living room. After living her whole life in a metropolitan city and then suddenly shifting to a small town where no one roams around after evening was not something Janice was prepared for.

"By the way, why roaming at night is banned here in Ruksin?" She asked, stopping her eyes at her sister and raising her eyebrow.

"Because of the vampires duh!" Kevin's mocking voice replied her question coming in between before Marilyn could even speak and both of the sisters just rolled their eyes at him.

"Shut up Kevin. Maybe it is because of the dacoits and extremists loitering around. I am not sure myself too." Marilyn replied getting up and then added. "Let's get your luggage inside my room. You should get fresh too."

"Why is that everyone of you gets your own room except me? Don't you think that's kind of unfair Mary?" She groaned getting up.

"It's because you are still a baby and need an adult to show you around." Kevin teased ruffling her hair and immediately ran towards his room with his duffle bag before Janice could punch the guts out of him.

After the irritating brother of hers went out of the sight, she took her trolley bag and started pulling it towards Marilyn's room as her elder sister walked in front of her. As she reached outside the room, her eyes trailed off towards her grandmother's room and an idea strucked her mind.

"Why don't I take granny's room as she's not here anymore?" Even if she did not like her grandmother and did not want anything to do with her room, the sweet taste of freedom was bigger than the former wish. Marilyn was cool to be around with, but when she needed, she could change into the motherly mode in a second and the single room would be useful for her to write her blogs in peace. So she looked hopefully at her sister to agree as Marilyn thought about it for sometime.

"Okay but I will have to talk with dad about it. Share the room with me for tonight." She replied and Janice instantly engulfed her sister into a tight hug, grinning like a maniac. Marilyn couldn't help but grin back at her sister. It was only a month but yet she missed her sibling's childish antics crazily.

"Now Jan change your clothes fast before I change my mind." She ordered and like an obidient child, Janice rushed inside the room, pulling the trolley with her and stumbling a few times here and there. Mentally noting that she needs to learn the map of this house, she took a fresh pair of clothes out of her bag and then walked into the bathroom.

•••

After a tiring journey, Janice did not realise when she dozed off into a deep sleep. It was Kevin who woke her up for the dinner. After their dinner, all of them went back to their room for the night's sleep when the time was still 10:30 pm in her clock. In Delhi, they had their dinner at this time but now at Ruksin, her mother had strictly ordered them that they have to go to bed before 11 pm and wake up at 6:30 in the morning.

When the sibling protested, her mother also provided them with the lecture that they were not in Delhi anymore and adjusting with the place was what would make them worthy enough to live alone when the time required. Deciding to not piss her mother anymore, they agreed to her terms and conditions.

But the problem was that sleep was thousand miles away from her eyes after the good evening nap she took when her whole family sat outside in the living room, chatting away after such a long time. She turned her head towards her side where Marilyn was deep in sleep. Pressing her lips into a tight line, Janice stayed awake looking at the ceiling above her.

Time flew away like that. She shifted her positions, tossing and turning, counted the sheeps, stayed still closing her eyes for sometime but nothing seemed to work. Not being able to stay awake like that anymore, she slipped out of the covers and tip toed outside the room, not wanting to wake Marilyn up while going outside.

Making her way towards Kevin's room, she noticed that the door of his room was slightly ajar. Peeking in, she saw at her brother was also dozed off in a weird position. She could hear him snoring lightly. Sighing she turned back and tip toed back to her room. Entering inside, she walked towards her bag and unzipped it, taking the novel she was carrying out of the bag. As she was closing her bag, she saw Mary shifting her position, making her alert and stay still at her place. After being assured that she was not waking up, Janice took slow steps to her granny's room.

Entering the room, she turned the lights on and roamed her eyes around the room once again. An eerie feeling crawled inside her body as her eyes trailed off towards the window whose curtains were still put aside, giving her the chance to glance at the scenic view of dark forest standing outside, under the moonlight.

Shaking that weird feeling off, she made her way and she sat on the armchair and opened the Salem's lot, she was carrying in her hand. As she read two or three paragraphs, the eerie feeling returned, making her completely creeped out. Maybe it was because she was sitting on the same chair on which her granny died.

Realising how stupid she was, she instantly got up and took long strides towards the bed. The bedsheet was clean indicating that even after her grandmother's death, Mary was still taking good care of her room. Lying down on her stomach, she opened the book and continued reading from where she had left off. She read four or five pages with full concentration but after that she kept getting distracted at the paragraph.

The constant feeling of being under someone's watch made it impossible for her to keep reading. She roamed her eyes around the room but nothing seemed wrong to her. Her eyes trailed off at the window as she felt something moving in the tree just outside the window. It made her sit up straight and focus all her attention towards the window. She stared outside for a minute, then two and three but nothing looked out of place at that time. Telling herself that she was most probably hallucinating things reading the book, she tried to shake the weird feeling off her mind.

But still for being sure that no one was watching her from outside the window, she got up and pulled the curtain down, not allowing anything to peek inside if something or someone was out there in reality. But this small incident made her a little scared. She thought that this was happening because she was in a dead person's room. Not wanting to be alone anymore, she picked her book up from the bed and decided to spend her night tossing around the bed with Mary. At least she would be safe with her sister.

Walking back to her room, she realised how idiotic her idea was to go and spend her first night loitering alone and that too inside her granny's room.

"Janice..." As she held the handle of her room's door, she felt a soft whisper calling her name from behind.

She snapped her head back as a shiver ran down her spine creating goosebumps all around her body. The voice was soothing and kind of hypnotic. After a moment, she heard the same soft voice calling her name once again. She smiled nodding her head as the voice pulled Janice towards its direction. The book in her hand fell down on the floor with a thud as she took strides towards the main door of their house.

Opening the door, she stepped her foot outside and the cold wave of wind came rushing to hug her body. The cold wind of Arunachal's snowy moutains made Janice's teeth chatter. But it did not matter at that point of time. The only thing which was of importance was the voice that was calling her name after an interval of a minute. She was lost in the voice, it was calm and made her feel sleepy. She crossed the porch and sauntered outside the main gate of their house while her feet stayed naked.

After a moment, she found herself standing in front of the tree which stood right in front of her granny's room's window. The same tree in which she saw someone or something moving.

After that nothing was clear to her anymore. She heard a click like sound and suddenly the previous calm voice went away, leaving her wander how to came out of the house. A sick feeling surrounded her body as her head started feeling heavy. She moved her eyes around as she started taking long strides to rush back inside her house. But her steps were not falling at right place. She stumbled a few times as her vision started getting blurry.

Her head was spinning with thousands of questions about how she came outside her house when she was standing outside her room? What was the voice she heard? Questions were uncountable but the answers were zero. With much difficulty she reached the porch of her house when everything around her started dancing and floating around. She rose her foot, trying to move forward but was unsuccessful at it. The only thing she remembered was watching the red eyes which stared right back into hers before she closed her eyes, allowing her to fall down and hit the ground.

•~~~•

So what do you think about the voice?

Did you like the bond between the siblings? Who pulled your interest the most?

Don't forget to tell us about that.

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Till then.
Lots of love from
Anushka, Mahi and the humans and vampires of Ruksin town.

Meet you all soon with a new chapter.